ACLU of Wisconsin

What ACLU of Wisconsin does

ACLU of Wisconsin is a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit civil liberties advocacy organization operating as a state affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. It is structured as two legal entities — the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, Inc. (Union, 501(c)(4)) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Foundation, Inc. (Foundation, 501(c)(3)) — and maintains offices in Milwaukee (headquarters) and Madison. The organization delivers four core service lines: (1) direct legal representation and litigation, with 41+ documented active or completed court cases spanning immigration rights, criminal legal reform, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive freedom, First Amendment, and privacy; (2) legislative advocacy, including the Keep Families Together bill package and opposition to 287(g) agreements; (3) voter education and mobilization, reaching approximately 600,000 Wisconsin voters in a single state supreme court election cycle through direct mail, canvassing, text/phone banking, radio, and digital video advertising; and (4) public education, including multilingual "Know Your Rights" resources in English, Spanish, and Hmong.

ACLU of Wisconsin's business model is donation- and membership-driven, with recurring annual memberships and individual contributions forming the primary revenue stream. Specific pricing for membership tiers is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market motion is community-led: the organization mobilizes volunteers, conducts direct mail campaigns, door-to-door canvassing, text and phone banking, and partners with coalition organizations such as Voces de la Frontera, NAACP Wisconsin, and Law Forward. Distribution occurs primarily through the website (aclu-wi.org) for self-serve intake, an action center for supporter mobilization, formal legal intake for representation requests, and field-based community organizing. ACLU of Wisconsin has no proprietary technology product; its underlying capabilities are legal expertise, advocacy infrastructure, and a statewide field organization rather than a technology platform.

Name

ACLU of Wisconsin

Legal name

American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, Inc.

Website

https://aclu-wi.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Liberties Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Civil liberties advocacy
• Legal representation services
• Voter education campaigns
• Immigration rights advocacy
• Criminal justice reform

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: ACLU of Wisconsin operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through individual donations and membership fees. Supporters can join as members and make financial contributions to support the organization's civil liberties advocacy, litigation, and community organizing work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ACLU of Wisconsin provides civil liberties advocacy through direct legal representation, court litigation, and legislative advocacy on issues such as immigrants' rights, voting rights, criminal legal reform, LGBTQ+ rights, and First Amendment protections. The organization also delivers voter education and Get Out the Vote campaigns reaching hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents, Know Your Rights educational resources in multiple languages, and coalition-driven advocacy campaigns such as #End287g.

Product overview

ACLU of Wisconsin is a civil liberties advocacy organization that does not operate a traditional technology product. Its services include legal assistance, court litigation, advocacy campaigns (such as #End287g), voting rights resources, Know Your Rights educational materials, an action center for supporter mobilization, and legislative advocacy through the Keep Families Together bill package. The organization publishes research reports on civil liberties issues affecting Wisconsin residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Assistance Services Legal intake and representation for Wisconsin residents whose constitutional or civil rights have been violated, covering immigration, criminal legal reform, LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights, and First Amendment matters. Available through the organization's website to individuals seeking civil liberties legal assistance.
• Know Your Rights Resources Multilingual educational resources informing Wisconsin residents about their constitutional rights in scenarios including police encounters, ICE interactions, and voting. Delivered as a named, reusable resource that the public can access via the ACLU of Wisconsin website and supporting outreach channels.
• Court Cases and Litigation Litigation services delivered through active and completed court cases addressing constitutional and civil liberties violations in Wisconsin. Each case is a discrete legal engagement for affected individuals or classes, with the docket maintained publicly on the ACLU of Wisconsin website.
• Voting Rights Resources Nonpartisan voter information and election protection tools for Wisconsin residents, including registration guidance, polling place finder, voter ID rules, and support during statewide election cycles. Delivered as a standalone service tied to the organization's Strengthening Democracy issue area.
• Action Center Online advocacy tool enabling Wisconsin supporters to take action on civil liberties issues including contacting legislators, signing petitions, and mobilizing for active campaigns. Available through the ACLU of Wisconsin website's Take Action page.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41+ court cases won or in progress defending civil liberties in Wisconsin
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Voces de la FronteracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 September 2025Voces de la Frontera is a coalition partner in immigration rights work. ACLU of Wisconsin filed an original action with the Wisconsin Supreme Court on behalf of Voces de la Frontera to terminate the practice of Wisconsin sheriffs honoring ICE detainers in county jails.
• ACLU Voter Education FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2025Joint campaign with the national ACLU and ACLU Voter Education Fund to engage Wisconsin voters ahead of state supreme court elections. ACLU Voter Education Fund runs radio and digital video advertisements, while ACLU and ACLU of Wisconsin conduct direct voter outreach.
• Quarles & Brady LLPsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2025Quarles & Brady LLP provided pro bono legal assistance to ACLU of Wisconsin in litigation against the Wisconsin Department of Corrections regarding the Mother Young program for incarcerated parents.
• NAACP WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-filed lawsuits on civil rights matters including discrimination in welfare programs (W-2) and voting rights issues.
• Law ForwardsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmicus brief partner in voting rights cases including WJI v. WEC regarding Marsy's Law ballot language.
• ACLU (National/Affiliates)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the ACLU Organizations network including the American Civil Liberties Union Inc., American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc., and other state/local affiliates. Shares data, coordinates advocacy, and participates in list exchanges with like-minded organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lambda Legal: National LGBTQ+ civil rights legal organization that litigates and advocates on overlapping issues with ACLU of Wisconsin, particularly on LGBTQ+ rights, transgender healthcare access, and bodily autonomy cases in state and federal courts.
• Law Forward: Wisconsin-based legal advocacy organization frequently partnering with ACLU of Wisconsin on voting rights, redistricting, and democracy-related litigation — comparable in regional scope and legal advocacy model.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: National civil rights legal organization with overlapping litigation mandate on voting rights, criminal legal reform, and racial justice. NAACP Wisconsin is an active co-counsel partner of ACLU of Wisconsin on multiple cases.
• National Immigration Law Center: National advocacy organization dedicated to immigration rights, with overlapping mandate on ICE detainer challenges, 287(g) opposition, and immigrant due process — areas where ACLU of Wisconsin has active litigation.
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America: Co-litigant on reproductive rights matters including the Wisconsin abortion ban challenge (Planned Parenthood v. Urmanski); both organizations share a substantive overlap in defending bodily autonomy and access to care.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Advocacy organization focused on digital privacy and surveillance — directly comparable to ACLU of Wisconsin's work on Flock surveillance cameras, GPS tracking, and Fourth Amendment privacy protections.
• ACLU of Minnesota: A fellow ACLU state affiliate operating in the Upper Midwest with near-identical mandate and operating model (legal representation, legislative advocacy, community organizing) on overlapping issues including immigration, voting rights, and criminal legal reform.
• Voces de la Frontera: Wisconsin immigrant rights coalition partner and co-plaintiff on the ICE detainer termination case; comparable grassroots mobilization and Know Your Rights outreach model to immigrant communities.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center: Large national civil rights organization that litigates and advocates on civil liberties, immigrants' rights, and criminal justice reform — directly overlapping with several of ACLU of Wisconsin's priority practice areas.
• ACLU (National): The national parent and umbrella organization for ACLU of Wisconsin. Operates the broader brand, coordinates affiliates, and runs nationwide campaigns on overlapping civil-liberties issues including immigration, voting rights, and criminal legal reform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aclu-of-wisconsin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ACLU of Wisconsin